The Warner sun. (Warner, Brown Co., Dakota [S.D.]) 1885-1???, 1887-02-18
A PURITAN

i Nv ~
a sermon delivered by Robert Cushman
IN 1921, at Plymouth, affords the en-
tire text of the oldest of all the old
New England m now cxtant,
writes a Searsport (Me.) correspondent
Of The Portland Press. The pilgrim
fathers landed in the autumn of 1920.
This sermon was preached some time
in 1921 by Cushman, soon after his
arrival. 1t was in the darkest time
Tor the struggling colony, and among
the congregation who listened to the
sermon were the men who have been
made famous through their connec-
tons with the trying scenes of those
vears--Capt, Miles Standish, Gov.
William Bradford, Gov. Edward Win
slow, Gov. Thomas Price, William
Brewster, Isaac Allerton, Nathaniel
Morton, John Bradford, John Winslow,
Thomas Cushman, Constant and Thorn
as S%OuthwOrth. The sermon is very
long indeed, and was intended to in
ytruct the ~cOlonists in their duties to
each other by enlarging OF 1.-The sin
and danger of self-love." The text
was First Corinthians x, "a: 'Let no
man seek his own, but every man
another's wealth. The first part of
the discourse abounds in abundant
references to the scriptures and gener-
al remarks upon the thought of the
text with numerous proddings at the
failings of the men of the times. In
one case where the writings of Paul
are referred to there is this thru st:
In both epistles he (Paul) very often
nippeth them for their pride, self-love,
straitness, consciousness, and willeth
them to examine themselves to see
whether Christ were in them or not,
for many of them seemed, as in this
day, to soar alOft and 60 with full sail
to heaven, yet as men that 60 in boats
set their faces one way when yet their
whole body goeth apace another, SO
there are many which set such a face
upon religion and have their mouths
full of great swelling words as if they
would even blow open the doors of
heaven-despising Undetermined peo-
pie like the Corinthians, they carry
affectedly their own glory with them
and seem to stand for the glory of
God"
He thinks that Men blow the bel
lows hard when they have an iron of
their own heating, dig hard when their
own garden is planting; but their hands
wax feeble, hearts grow faint, and they
become churlish when the profit goes
wholly to Others" In warning his
hearers against pride and conceited-
ness, the preacher illustrated by this ref
erence to the iniquities of Virginians,
ut is reported that there are many
men gone to that other plantation,
which while they lived in England
seemed religious, but have lost even the
sap of grace and edge 70 all goodness,
and have become mere worldlings.
Among many causes self-loVe is not the
least"
Coming to the practical application
Of his teachings, the old preacher speaks
these plair words to his pilgrim audi
dience: ats a matter of commenda-
ton for a nan to remove himself from
a thronged place into a wilderness, to
take so long and dangerous a journey to
carry the gospel and humanity among
british heather, but there may be many
shows and CLOSES and yet a pad in the
straw; some men came out of discon-
tent in regard to their estates in Eng
land, and aim at great matter here, af-
fecting to be gentlemen, landed men,
hoping for offices, fieshy liberty. Let
the show lie what Il will. the substance
is naught, and that bird of self-love
which was Matched at home, if he is
not looked after, will eat out the life of
grace and goodness. and though men
have escaped the dangers of the sea,
and the cruel mortality that swept away
SO many loving friends, yet, unless we
purge out this self love, a worse mis-
chief awaits us"
Near the close of the sermon is this
strong plea for unselfishness: THE
land Is untitled, the cities not builded,
the cattle not settled, encompassed with
idle people, the natives cannot in q
'comely manner help themselves,
mWch Tess others; friends have died for
want of lodging and other necessary
comforts. and others may follow If not
cared for. Is this a time for men to
seek themselvesPu